About this book

For non-majors and mixed-majors introductory botany (plant biology) courses. Plant Biology focuses students on the function of plants and the role they play in our world. With evolved content and a new organization, the authors emphasize the scientific method to help students develop the critical thinking skills they need to make sound decisions throughout life. Together, the emphasis on how plants work and the development of critical-thinking skills support the authors' goal of fostering scientific literacy.

"In my opinion this is a must-have book because it covers all the important and interesting botanically-related topics any educated person needs to know-in a single book."– David Francko, Miami University of Ohio

"This textbook is very readable, clear, organized, and informative. DNA science, ecology, and evolution are themes integrated throughout the text to help make plant science relative to everyday life."– Rebecca Zamora, South Plains College

"This book is distinguished by making more cross-subject connections and not treating most subjects in compartments. The target audience doesn't want to know about morphology or physiology. They want to know about how plants work. They also want more and different plant examples and this text delivers."– Roger de Moral, University of Washington

"The writing style is familiar and laced with analogies to relate material to everyday examples."– Robert Bell, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

"The specific examples given in each chapter are excellent. When maternal remains abstract or general, the student's interest is rarely caught. That was never a problem in these chapters."– Kathleen Wood, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

"I appreciate how difficult it is to cover the volume of information in a succinct way and congratulate the authors for a readable and very understandable text."– Dale McNeal, University of the Pacific

"It is obvious from the writing that the authors enjoy teaching and relate to students when presenting material."– James Bidlack, University of Central Oklahoma

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Biography

Linda E. Graham is Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Graham has taught a nonmajors plant biology course each year for more than 20 years. She has a strong desire to inspire students to learn about plants as a way of understanding and appreciating nature. Dr. Graham's teaching focuses on biological topics that every informed citizen should understand in order to make responsible decisions about both the environment and personal well-being. She also teaches courses on the biology of algae and bryophytes, contributes to an introductory biology course for majors, and has taught marine botany on a remote tropical island. Dr. Graham's research explores the evolutionary origin of land-adapted plants, focusing on their cell and molecular biology as well as ecological interactions. Dr. Graham's research and teaching are connected-both inspired by a desire to help preserve the life-sustaining properties of the natural world. Dr. Graham is the co-author of Algae, a majors textbook on algal biology, as well as the author of Origin of Land Plants.

James M. Graham received his Ph.D. in Biological Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is an Associate Scientist at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where he conducts research in the area of microbial ecology. Dr. Graham contributed a chapter on phytoplankton ecology to the textbook Algae, by L. Graham and L. Wilcox. He has also taught a number of courses, including ecology, biology of algae, introductory biology for majors, and introductory botany for non-science majors.

Lee W. Wilcox received his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests include symbiosis, algal evolution, and plant and algal cell biology. Dr. Wilcox designed the art programs for both Algae and Plant Biology and has provided many original photographs to both texts. He has also contributed scientific illustrations to a variety of other scientific articles and book chapters. During his experience as a graduate teaching assistant and, later, as a guest lecturer in a variety of courses, he became acutely aware of the need to illustrate subject matter clearly and with an eye toward aesthetics in order for students to best appreciate the material.